An all female jury selected the best Argentine wines

The main female authorities of wine in both the international and local markets sampled 669 wines.

On the night of Friday 13, at a crowded awards ceremony held at Bodega Trivento, the winners of the Argentina Wine Awards 2015 competition, organised by Wines of Argentina and the Argentina Wine Corporation (COVIAR), were announced. After a meticulous tasting process, conducted by 12 international judges and 6 national judges, who tasted 669 samples in all, the Trophies of the 20 categories, divided in turn into 5 price ranges, were announced.

In the ninth edition of the Argentina Wine Awards, which seeks to reward both the quality and progress of Argentina’s wine industry, 143 wineries participated with a total of 669 samples. The awards ceremony was attended by over 200 winery owners, winemakers, provincial authorities, managers of organisations within the wine industry, jurors and journalists. In all, the contest awarded 14 Trophies, 19 gold medals, 193 silver medals and 369 bronze medals.

A total of 14 Trophies and 19 Gold medals were awarded.

In the category „Malbec“ the Trophies went to:

• Septima Obra Malbec 2012, Bodega Septima – Codorniu Argentina SA,
• Riglos Quinto Malbec 2013, Finca Las Divas SA – Bodega Riglos,
• Casarena Single Vineyard – Malbec – Jamilla’s Vineyard – Perdriel 2012, Casarena Bodegas & Vineyards
• Zuccardi Aluvional Vista Flores Malbec 2012, Familia Zuccardi.

While in the category „Sparkling wine“ the Trophy winner was Ruca Malen Sparkling Brut NV, Bodega Ruca Malen.

In the “Chardonnay” category there were two Trophies this year, which were awarded to Finca La Escondida Reserve Chardonnay 2014, from Bodegas La Rosa and Salentein Single Vineyard Chardonnay 2012, from Salentein.

Another varietal which was awarded, was Cabernet Franc. The trophies went to; La Mascota Cabernet Franc 2013, from Mascota Vineyards and Salentein Numina Cabernet Franc 2012, from Salentein.

Also to be awarded Trophies were; Sophenia Synthesis The Blend 2011 from Finca Sophenia, Cadus Single Vineyard Finca Las Tortugas Bonarda 2013 from Cadus Winery, Decero Mini Ediciones Petit Verdot, Remolinos Vineyards 2012 from Finca Decero, Serie Fincas Notables Tannat 2012 from El Esteco and the Cabernet Sauvignon Proemio Reserve 2013 from Proemio Wines.

Regional Trophies were awarded to:

Valleys of the North: Serie Fincas Notables Tannat 2012, Bodega El Esteco.

Valleys of Mendoza: Decero Mini Ediciones Petit Verdot, Remolinos Vineyard 2012, Finca Decero.

Valleys of San Juan: Santiago Graffigna 2011, Bodegas & Vineyards, Santiago Graffigna (40% Malbec, 30% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Syrah).

Valleys of Patagonia: Special Blend 2010, Bodegas Del Fin Del Mundo
(60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Malbec, 20% Merlot).

The AWA 2015, just as every year, held a seminar with members of the international jury who presented various topics of interest such as developments in their respective markets, and the perception of Argentine wines within them. They also conducted a tasting of 7 wines, selected for being sustainable in their countries. In this edition, the speakers presented the following wines:

Speaker	Market	Wine selected	Alcohol
Felicity Carter	Germany	Villa Maria Pinot Noir Private Bin, Marlborough	13.5%
Christy Canterbury	United States	Owen Roe Abbott’s Table (Washington)	14.1%
Barbara Philips	Canada	J Lohr Cabernet Sauvignon ‚Seven Oaks‘ California.	13.8%
Megumi Nishida	Japan	Planeta – Santa Cecilia	14,00%
Essi Avellan	Finland	Jeio Valdobbiadene Brut (Bisol) Italia	11,50%
Sara D’Amato	Canada	Famille Perrin Les Christins Vacqueyras 2012, Rhone, France	14,50%
Cecilia Torres	Chile	Viña Errazuriz – Don Maximiano Cabernet	14%

The other international judges present during the AWA, Susan Kostrzewa (USA), Mogk Shari Edwards (Canada), Annette Scarfe (Singapore / HK) and Suzana Barelli (Brazil) spoke about the performance of Argentina in their own countries.

The perfect culmination and highlight of the seminar was conducted by the British journalist and Master of Wine, Jancis Robinson, who according to the magazine Decanter is the most respected wine journalist in the world. In 1984 she was the first person outside the wine industry to pass the rigorous Master of Wine test. On her website (www.JancisRobinson.com) and every week in the Financial Times, she writes about the world of wine. In 2003, she received an OBE from the Queen of England.

„The winning wines of the AWA 2015 were chosen by 19 female authorities from the world of wine. Today one can find women in all stages of wine production, such as winemakers, export managers, consumers and especially sommeliers, where the female sense of smell can experience aromas more strongly and in turn find the name that identifies its meaning, more naturally. These female skills have made the AWA 2015 a unique experience, „said Susana Balbo, President of Wines of Argentina.

She also stressed that „this AWA was very special because it had the presence and participation of the most important women in the wine industry at global and national levels. They shared their experiences, perceptions, ratings and opinions of our wine and the principal markets where our wine is present. In this seminar, we aim to continue to be informed on how to further position the brand “Vino Argentino“ in the world so that it will carry on being synonymous with quality and excellence.

Lastly she added: „The strong tradition of our industry and the joint efforts, along with the professionalism and dedication of each of the participants, is what enables us to continue building a solid strategy that remains over time and guides us, so that Argentine wine will be increasingly recognised worldwide.“

About the Argentina Wine Awards

From 8 to 13 February 2015, the ninth edition of the Argentina Wine Awards was held in Mendoza. This year the theme was „Female Empowerment“ and the role exerted by women in a traditionally male world, bringing their ingenuity and intuition to the industry in all its aspects. In this way, Wines of Argentina continues to work for the image of Argentine wine and its growing presence on the world stage.

This year, the competition has both an international and national jury and is made up of women, all related to the wine industry. The purpose is to recognise the role exerted by women in a traditionally male world, bringing their creativity and insight to the industry in all its aspects.

Today, women hold positions in all stages of the production of wine, such as winemakers, export managers, consumers and especially sommeliers, where the feminine sense of smell experiences aromas with more intensity and finds the names which identify them more naturally. These feminine skills combined on a jury that features the most important figures in the world of wine, will surely make the AWA 2015, an unforgettable experience.